Arguing against the signing is Cedeno’s putrid .286 career on-base percentage. And this weakness really can’t be overestimated. Among all major league hitters with 2000 plate appearances since 2005, Cedeno’s OBP ranks fourth-lowest. The three ahead of (behind?) him are Miguel Olivo, Corey Patterson and Adam Everett. Olivo has significantly more power, Patterson outslugs Cedeno and brings a lot more speed, and Everett was one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball-yet his offensive ineptitude knocked him out of the league.

The argument for Cedeno seems to boil down to: sure, he can’t hit. But lots of backup middle infielders can’t hit, and his defense is good enough to make him worth having around. And I can see that, to an extent. After all, this is a team that once paid nearly twice what Cedeno makes annually for the right to have Alex Cora not hit and not field.

But “better than Alex Cora” really shouldn’t be the standard for a signing. And my bigger fear is that Terry Collins will decide to play Cedeno regularly at second base, rather than giving Daniel Murphy a chance to learn the position. Let’s be clear about this: we don’t know whether Murphy can handle the position. Don’t know. That’s very different than knowing that he can’t. And we do know that if he can even minimally handle the position defensively, his bat makes him one of the better second basemen in the league.

That’s a far cry from Cedeno, who is entering his age-29 season, and clearly isn’t ever going to hit enough to allow his fielding to elevate him beyond the point of backup. I’m also simply not convinced that any number of defensively strong Triple-A middle infielders couldn’t have filled this job for less money. But those savings would have been negligible.

In summary, this signing is okay. But how I feel about it will ultimately be judged by how many at-bats Cedeno steals from Daniel Murphy at second base.

Howard Megdal is the Lead Writer for the LoHud Mets Blog and Writer At Large for Capital New York. He covers baseball, basketball, and soccer for these and numerous other publications. His new book, "Wilpon's Folly," is available as an e-book at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Follow the LoHud Mets Blog on Twitter @lohudmets. Follow Howard on Twitter @HowardMegdal.

7 Comments

Steve S.

I hear you, Howard. It would be crazy for Collins to take a significant number of at bats away from Murphy and even from Tejada. I don’t think that will happen. It looks like Cedeno will be an end-of-the-game defensive replacement at 2B and a spot starter at SS. If Turner is on the team, he should get a few starts at 2B (before Cedeno does) and 3B.

What are we doing with Fernando Martinez in Triple A and signing all these non-entities to major league contracts? He must really be internally thought of as the supreme pits. Play him or put him in a package and trade him. Now that Bobby V signed in Beantown, maybe it’s time to root for Boston to beat the Yankees and forget the Mets until the Wilpons either declare bankruptcy or sell.

Even if Murph bats 300 again with 10 homers I doubt he is one of the best second basemen in the league. He couldn’t play left, was poor at first and has gotten hurt playing second. If he hits 280 with 6 homers and a 320 OBA he will be one of the worst second basemen in the league and the lack of DPs will kill the pitchers just as much as the moved in fences.

Not only did Martinez become a perpetual ambulance case, even when he was healthy he was a lethargic, disinterested slacker. Furthermore, Murphy has proven himself to be a consummate hustler and the best hitter for average on this team by far. We need youth and enthusiasm, not aged drones. Wright, Murphy, Bay, Tejada, Johan Santana and Thole and a few others at least have enthusiasm and attitude. If I’m going to cheer an 80-80 team, I want that.

Mets officials announced today that they have contracted with the Carpenters’ Union who moved in the outfield fences to expand the bench by twenty feet to accommodate all their pathetic million dollar acquisitions.

I don’t think there’s anyway Collins plays Cedeño over Murphy. Not the way Murphy hits last year. It’s definitely Murphy’s position to lose. He needs to get better at turning the double play in spring training. The kid can hit, he just needs to learn to turn 2.